Saturday, 5 December 2015

Badger and Earl Sewathon

This was me exactly a week ago - sewing, sewing, sewing all day long with Rachel from House of Pinheiro, Alex fromSewrendipityand Elisalex from By Hand London. Ah I love my life! We were the guests of Badger and Earl - my fave West London sewing and craft cafe - and were taking part in their first ever Sewathon! Each of us was asked to choose fabric and a pattern from the shop then given the challenge of sewing it up in a day. Challenge accepted!

Ready for the off - must remember not to stand next to Rachel in future!

What a fab day we had! We were given as much tea and cake as we wanted, then left to sew dresses and indulge in sewing talk all day, bliss! It was also a really nice change to be sewing somewhere new and to be with doing it with other stitchers. I sometimes forget that the actual art of sewing is a very solitary activity!

I'm not very good at sewing against the clock (which is why you'll never see me on the Sewing Bee) so I chose a pattern I knew well - the Mortmain dress by Gather. I've made it twice before (here and here) and have also taught it as a class at Badger and Earl, so I knew exactly what I was doing! I just finished it by the end of the day. If I'd been on my own it would have only taken me a couple of hours, but I was in a room with some world famous chatterboxes so I didn't stand a chance!

Sewing the hem...

Almost there, just the armholes to finish

And here's the dress once I got it home and gave it a press. The neckline is finished with a facing but I finished the armholes with contrast navy bias binding (that was Rachel's idea!)

I also pleated the skirt from the right side for a softer look.

Yes, it's totally inappropriate for winter but I think it will be a perfect dress for the warmer months. I like how it looks like a separate top and skirt as well as a dress! As my flesh is currently a fetching shade of winter blue, I thought I'd spare you a shot of me wearing it. But here we are with our finished dresses, all looking mighty pleased with ourselves.

Rachel made a Deer and Doe Bruyere Shirt, lengthened into a dress with some beautiful printed canvas. Alex made a very cool Tilly and the Buttons Bettine dress with some blue linen. She used the scraps from my polka dot skirt for her pockets and sleeve cuffs! Elisalex had to leave early, so sadly wasn't there for the final dress parade. They'll be blogging about their own particular Sewathon makes soon though, so keep an eye out.

Thank you so much to Charlotte and Sophie of Badger and Earl for hosting. And to my sewing partners in crime Rachel, Alex and Elisalex for making it such a fun day. Let's hope it's the first of many more Sewathons to come! x

What a fab day. If the sight of you four sewing doesn't pique the interest of passers by I don't know what will. A similar thing in going on at the end of Dec at the Fashion and Textile museum. Love your dress, so you.